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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26474959">Stuck On Repeat/Stuck On You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghost_Owl/pseuds/Ghost_Owl'>Ghost_Owl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Cultural Traditions, Dorks in Love, Drunken Kissing, Fakeout Makeout, Fluff, HOT MESSES THE BOTH OF THEM, Kiss Before We Die, Kissing, Lots of kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance, Undercover</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:35:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,662</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26474959</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghost_Owl/pseuds/Ghost_Owl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(5+1 Kisses):  Five times Obi Wan and Anakin kissed each other and pretended it never happened, plus the one time they kissed and actually let it mean something.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>71</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>312</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. That Time They Left Marks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>*gestures wildly*</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first time it happens can be blamed on Anakin’s love of questionable quality holofilms.</p>
<p>It was supposed to be a simple mission, only given to them because their fleet was passing by on the way home from the warfront as it was.  A visit to a tiny dwarf planet, neutral in the war, to see if Dooku was soliciting the services of the assassins’ guild that protects this planet from outsiders after intelligence reports stated the Sith was seen here.  Just reconnaissance, the orders are clear.  Just going into the capital city and asking around, seeing if Dooku is still here, and then report back to see if they can engage him</p>
<p>Dooku <em>was</em> here, emphasis on was; they just missed him, turns out.  It also turns out that while he was indeed looking to make a deal with the covert, the negotiations had gone spectacularly sour, and he had been chased off.  The guild is not currently feeling friendly towards any Force sensitives as a result, thinking they’re all aligned with Dooku, so when Obi Wan and Anakin inevitably revealed themselves through something that definitely wasn’t Anakin’s fault and certainly wasn’t Obi Wan’s fault— but they both knew it was the other’s because <em>well, it wasn’t mine!</em> —it’s now a race against an entire legion of furious cohort soldiers trying to hunt them down to get back to their hidden ship and take off.</p>
<p>The streets are dark and shadowed figures turn into dark blurs as the two sprint past them, ducking through side streets and vaulting up and over buildings.  The dwarf planet doesn’t get much sun for extended periods of time, breathable air and sustainable temperature coming from the geothermal ventilation of the core, so the whole world is pretty much constantly cloaked in the shroud of night.  Its people seem to have adopted the theme for their own protection and ability to blend in; the dress code here is almost entirely black or dark clothing.  </p>
<p>Of course Obi Wan and Anakin needed to fit in with the locals, so Anakin simply adapted his usual outfit to a less conspicuous short sleeved grey tunic and long black jacket.</p>
<p>Obi Wan now has matching black pants and a dark green long sleeved shirt, and he looks fine, he does, but it’s very tight, and Anakin’s… not used to seeing that all the time.  Yeah, he’s seen his Master shirtless, but there’s something different about seeing his defined muscular build rippling under dark fabrics as he moves.</p>
<p>Not that Anakin’s stared <em>that</em> often.</p>
<p>No, it’s merely an observation.</p>
<p>He catches the flexing of Obi Wan’s bicep as he vaults a fence, and Anakin almost stumbles the vault himself, his Master’s strong hands reaching out to steady him.</p>
<p>“Careful, Anakin.”</p>
<p>“Sorry, Master.”</p>
<p>They keep going, but suddenly the winding maze of the city streets they’ve been running through is lit up at the other end by searchlights.  Anakin swears, turning and beckoning Obi Wan back down the way they came, and—</p>
<p>More spotlights.</p>
<p>Obi Wan’s the one to swear this time, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face.  It falls right back over his eyes and Anakin resists his usual urge to pet it.  What?  It’s soft.</p>
<p>“Shall we try the rooftops again?” Obi Wan murmurs to him.</p>
<p>Anakin shakes his head no.  “They’ve got an aerial patrol, remember?  And no cover up there.”</p>
<p>Obi Wan lets out a quiet growl of a sigh, looking around.  “Well, if you have any ideas on where to go next, I’m all ears.”</p>
<p>Anakin jerks his head towards a nearby door.  “We could hide?”</p>
<p>He’s not even spared a glance.  “We’re not adding breaking and entering to our list of offenses here, Anakin.  And there’s nowhere else to hide outside that isn’t in plain sight from the street.”</p>
<p>Anakin’s got a retort ready on his tongue about where this newfound worry for offending their hosts has come from, but something about Obi Wan’s words rings clear in his head.</p>
<p>
  <em>Hide… in plain sight…</em>
</p>
<p>Now look, Anakin doesn’t tend to watch too many holoshows.  When he does?  They may or may not be either racing or really, really cheesy holodramas.  The last one he saw had the whole “on the run from assailants, need to hide in plain sight, what do we do?” bit.  Anakin remembers what happened.  One character, took the other, and—</p>
<p>And truly, Anakin is not thinking any further besides <em>I could do that, that could work…</em> and he’s murmuring, “I have an idea, follow me,” and he’s taking Obi Wan’s arm and tugging him down a back alley off the side of the main street, and Obi Wan lets him, and lets him maneuver them until Anakin’s leaned himself against the cold alley wall and placed Obi Wan directly in front of him, and Obi Wan’s eyes are pale shadows in the night and Anakin can see the confusion in them, but also the trust, trusting whatever Anakin’s plan is, which is—</p>
<p>Which is to <em>kiss him</em>, Anakin, what the fuck?  Anakin’s head jerks back and promptly cracks on the stone wall behind him, but the pain is grounding because no really, <em>what the fuck</em>, he was about five seconds from trying to get Obi Wan to kiss him.</p>
<p>Obi Wan.</p>
<p>Anakin’s former Master who he might think about kissing far too often, but would never be ignorant enough to assume that the feeling is anywhere close to mutual.  Obi Wan, who’s now staring at Anakin in slight concern, which, understandable, Anakin’s just lost his damn mind—</p>
<p>“Anakin.”  Obi Wan’s voice takes a slightly urgent tone at the sound of voices and the flashing of lights appears around the corner.  “What did you—“</p>
<p>“I saw on a holodrama once that people kissing makes other people uncomfortable and they’re more likely to not notice, so kissing is a good way to hide in plain sight,” Anakin explains, because apparently his broken brain has affected his verbal filter as well.</p>
<p>Obi Wan stares at him like he’s grown a second head.  “Excuse me?”</p>
<p>The shouting and lights grows closer.  “I was going to have you kiss me,” Anakin snaps, crossing his arms defensively.  The expression on Obi Wan’s face is completely blank, and he’s not saying anything, so Anakin can’t help but ramble.  “I don’t know why, it was just something I saw and I know now it’s a stupid idea, let’s just keep moving—“</p>
<p>Shadows emerge from around the corner, their pursuers are <em>right there</em>, and Anakin’s preparing to have to fight their way out of this, and Obi Wan is swearing sharply and pushing Anakin back against the wall, strong hands on his shoulders and—</p>
<p>Obi Wan’s lips meet his and it feels like everything around them that’s been hurtling forward at lightspeed comes crashing to a standstill.</p>
<p>It’s clumsy at first, adrenaline from the people after them being literally right around the corner coursing through them combined with Anakin not expecting it in the slightest, so he’s stiff as a board as their teeth clack awkwardly and Obi Wan continues to press Anakin against the cold, damp wall.</p>
<p>Finally, Anakin’s brain manages to jump from pure <em>!!!!!!</em> to <em>holy Force, Obi Wan is kissing me…</em> but before he can unfreeze to do something like reciprocate, Obi Wan is breaking away to glare at him.  </p>
<p>“Well?” he challenges in a whispered hiss, and his face is accusing like this is Anakin’s fault, which, okay, yeah, he did come up with the idea, but he wasn’t the one who karking went and tried it for real, so Obi Wan has no right to blame anyone.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t ready,” Anakin excuses himself, and Obi Wan’s frown melts into his more familiar exasperated affection and he’s <em>vibrating</em> through their Bond, Anakin can feel it, and the searchers are still gathered down the street, so Anakin finds himself asking, “Do-over?” because it seems like Obi Wan has reluctantly dedicated himself to Anakin’s disaster of a plan, Anakin might as well take what he can get.</p>
<p>Obi Wan lets out a small huff of laughter, blowing warm against Anakin’s face, and this time they both lean in, and the world stops once more.</p>
<p>Anakin’s first thought is that Obi Wan is warm, hands still pressed to his chest two glowing embers where they meet through his clothes, the caress of his lips hot and comforting against Anakin’s own.  Anakin tries to enjoy it but he’s nervous, forcefully shoving down all the problems that could arise from this, but then there’s the soft brush of his Master’s mind against his own projecting calm, easy affection, reassurance, that everything is going to turn out fine.</p>
<p>Anakin takes a deep breath through his nose, remembers that he was going to try and let himself enjoy this since there is no way it will ever happen again, and relaxes against the wall, letting the press of Obi Wan’s strong body mold more easily into his.  The caress of Obi Wan’s lips is precise, targeted and toe-curling, obviously very well practiced but Anakin isn’t going to think about that, and instead reminds himself that he’s no novice either.</p>
<p>Playfully, Anakin flicks his tongue out, runs it teasingly along the crease of Obi Wan’s lips and feels rewarded in the tiny tremor he can feel run through Obi Wan’s body.  His satisfaction however only lasts as long as Obi Wan letting a spark of amusement flicker through the Bond, tilting his head, and opening his own mouth and then <em>oh.</em></p>
<p>Anakin clings desperately to the last threads of his sanity, telling himself he <em>cannot</em> lose himself right now, the searchlights are shining down their little alley even as the tongue in his mouth does its damndest to turn him to a puddle of goo.  He feels like this is his Master challenging his own teasing earlier, and as this is at heart a relationship built on giving as good as they get, Anakin feels no shame in taking his hands that had been gripping at Obi Wan’s arms and transferring them to his back, pulling Obi Wan closer while also getting to trace the firm, rippling back muscles Anakin may or may not have been staring at for years.  </p>
<p>Once again, he feels that shiver ripple up the spine under his palms and he takes half a second to think <em>ha,</em>, but then Obi Wan’s mouth is leaving his— dammit — and shifting to kiss its way down his jaw towards his neck— oh <em>no</em>.  Yeah, this is definitely Obi Wan testing him, he can feel the adrenaline looping across their bond, and as their pursuers finally start to make their way down their alley, Anakin takes the initiative to draw Obi Wan even closer to him by slipping his hands underneath that loose, dark shirt and running fingers across sweat-slick skin.</p>
<p>Obi Wan, the bastard, retaliates by picking a specific spot on Anakin’s throat and sucking; Anakin has to swallow the noise he wants to make, the covert’s soldiers rapidly moving closer to them as they move together.  Anakin sends an urgent poke at Obi Wan through their Bond as the soldiers approach, knowing that now more than ever their ruse— because this is only a ruse —needs to be convincing.  </p>
<p>Obi Wan sends back a brief acknowledgement without removing his lips from Anakin’s neck and takes Anakin’s face in one palm, tilting it as if to get better access for kissing and also, Anakin realizes, to obscure his face from the searchlights racing towards them.</p>
<p>As the first light touches them, Anakin tenses and moves one hand out of Obi Wan’s shirt to grab the back of his head and push him further against his neck to hide his face as well, fingers accidentally tangling and pulling in Obi Wan’s silky hair— <em>finally</em> —as he does.</p>
<p>The first group races right by them, and Anakin barely notices because Obi Wan gives an audible gasp from the tug at his hair that he then decides to muffle by sinking his teeth into Anakin’s neck.  It’s not his fault, it’s not like he <em>knows</em> that’s a particularly sensitive place for Anakin, but the matter is that the sharp prick of pain sends electricity up Anakin’s spine, his grip turning to claws as the hand in Obi Wan’s hair leaves to rejoin the other in scrabbling at his back frantically while the needy noise he stifled before comes back out <em>far</em> too loud.</p>
<p>Lights and footsteps are still passing by them, they’re not out of the woods yet, and Obi Wan’s hand on his cheek moves to clap across Anakin’s mouth at the same time he withdraws his teeth, instead tucking his nose in to hide.  His heavy breathing tingles against the sensitive new bite mark, and all Anakin can do is try and match the breaths with his own through the calloused fingers holding firm over his face, desperately trying to calm down even a little bit.  As close as they’ve been pressed, their hips have remained angled away from each other so far, and Anakin very much needs this to remain the case.</p>
<p>Obi Wan’s other hand not on his face is clutching his shoulder, and Anakin can feel the tightness release as the last of the searchlights and footsteps finally move past them and away.</p>
<p>They hold the position for what feels like an eternity more, to be completely sure.</p>
<p>And then, the world starts moving again as Obi Wan rips himself away from Anakin, turning his back and rearranging his clothing.  Anakin can only try and break free from the wall he’s hung himself on, hand moving on its own to feel the tender spot on his neck, now feeling ice cold without Obi Wan’s pressing warmth.</p>
<p>“It seems like your plan worked,” Obi Wan says brusquely as he continues to pat himself down, and there’s a rasp in his voice;, kriff, Anakin needs to readjust his own clothing, particularly his <em>pants</em>, thank the Force it’s dark enough here that certain things can be left unseen, or at least ignored.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Anakin agrees lamely, and Obi Wan’s head snaps around at his words, gaze zeroing in on Anakin’s hand still pressed to his neck.  Anakin proceeds to make himself even more obvious by guiltily jerking it away.  </p>
<p>Obi Wan doesn’t say anything for a moment, that unreadable expression he had from before back on his face, before turning from Anakin’s neck to his eyes and giving him a casual, genial shrug, as if what just happened was nothing but a simple maneuver they had run together a thousand times.  “Sorry about any roughness.  Hmm.  I assume that was convincing?”</p>
<p><em>Convincing.  As in he had to work to pretend it was real…</em>  Shoving down the rising tide inside him of far too messy, painful emotions, Anakin covers his inner mess by falling back on the familiar.  If Obi Wan thinks this was nothing…</p>
<p>Anakin pulls up an empty smirk that seems to do the trick for Obi Wan who visibly relaxes even as Anakin teases him.  “Probably not too hard to convince them not to look at us if we looked more like we were trying to kill each other.  Really, was the mauling necessary?”  He pointedly rubs at his neck, ignoring the sparks of pleasure touching it brings him.</p>
<p>Obi Wan laughs, and the final edge of that absurd, wonderful, frightening, tension-filled cloud that’s been hovering around them fades away, back into normality.  “Don’t start things you can’t finish.”</p>
<p>And there’s that burst of heat Anakin feels again as Obi Wan smiles slyly at him and starts walking out of the alleyway, calling, “Hurry up, if we take the way we came and double back along the outer wall, we should be able to make it to our ship without being apprehended by our friends after us.”</p>
<p>Anakin takes a moment, just a moment to watch him walk away in that tight, dark green shirt he remembers feeling against his own chest, nails scraping down solid muscles, the way his ridiculous <em>feelings</em> he’s been trying to rid himself of for the last four years or so will be that much harder to banish now that he knows how Obi Wan tastes.</p>
<p>It was just pretend, he scolds himself, hurrying up to follow his Master, as he always does, as he would anywhere.</p>
<p>Just pretend.  Nothing more.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fic one of two in the <em>If I dare publish another fic that is NOT the longfic I've been avoiding for three goddamn months, please blast me directly in the fucking face with a hose</em> fic bomb</p>
<p>The other parts are almost done in my head which means I shall churn them all out onto my computer.... sometime soon-ish.</p>
<p>Please leave a comment if you liked!  I sustain myself on validation!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. That Time With The Lipstick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The second time it happens can be blamed on overly cautious criminals.</p><p>This is an actual assignment, not a last-minute request like the assassins.  While their troops are busy besieging one Outer Rim planet, Obi Wan and Anakin are being sent to another to deal with a trafficking ring Republic intelligence has been weaseling a way into for months.</p><p>The culprits are a group of wealthy human executives of lucrative companies, who all have a nasty thing in common that they’ve developed into a side business: the misguided belief in human supremacy.  Their xenophobic ideology that nonhuman sentients are lesser and should be made to serve humans has led to a string of kidnappings and smugglings of enslaved nonhumans, and tonight, in a private parlor room on a nondescript world, the four heads of one of the biggest sections of the ring are supposed to meet for dinner.  More importantly, they will take the time to update their records, how many of each species from each world they’ve captured, where in the trading process the victims are, where they will ultimately end up, and who the biggest buyers will be.  They will put this information on tiny datachips that can be downloaded into personal computers for archival.  The chips are very highly guarded, as are the leaders, and up until now, the Republic has only gotten its hands on a chip that has already been destroyed.</p><p>Obi Wan will not be going to that meeting.</p><p>Obi Wan will be going to the equally private club on the same world, the one that after the covert trafficking meeting will be visited by the one identified leader, biotech entrepreneur Tez Dirlik.  Dirlik has favored the club before, is very fond of his drink and of gambling, and likes to invite the highest-profile players to his table there.  Obi Wan’s cover is Faron Heath, a mid-level Corellian crimelord with enough money to both fund and match his impressive sabacc skills. </p><p>Since Republic Intelligence had finally gotten a “man” inside, they came to Obi Wan and Anakin to execute the plan.</p><p>The original plan, that is.  The one where Obi Wan goes there in disguise on his own, plays amongst Dirlik and his numerous guards, swipes Dirlik’s chip, and then sends a signal to Anakin, who will be working with local police to then storm the place and “arrest” Faron Heath, Tez Dirlik, and everyone else there, and then get the chip submitted to be analyzed and find out where the trafficked victims are and hopefully break up the smuggling ring at last.</p><p>Or, that was the plan until on day one of recon, Anakin decides, “Yeah, no, you’ve read the file on this guy, Master, you know what he does to those he catches.  It’s much safer if you have someone else in there with you, pass the chip off to so he doesn’t catch you’ve stolen it.”</p><p>Obi Wan then makes the mistake of telling Anakin that yes, thanks for the concern, but that isn’t something he should worry about as there is no cover available for Anakin to go in.</p><p>He makes the mistake of not recognizing the narrowing of Anakin’s eyes as the challenge it is.</p><p>He makes yet another mistake by not cottoning on when Anakin casually has him confirm the intel that the club is likely staffed by underpaid, abused workers who are barely noticed by their boss and are scared as all hells.</p><p>He realizes all of those mistakes when Anakin shows up the day of the op with hair dyed pitch black and towing forward a small girl, barely legal, if that, by the looks of it, and announces to Obi Wan that during the stakeouts he noticed this one was particularly scared.</p><p>Obi Wan’s ready to blow an entire fuse at him for risking the plan and telling an outsider about it, but Anakin assures him that the girl wants out and is more than willing to play sick.  Someone will need to substitute for her.</p><p>Obi Wan tells him in <em>no uncertain terms</em> who he will unload the full front of the blame on if this entire thing goes pear-shaped, but Anakin just laughs and tells him he’s got someone to pass the chip to now.  As a worker, Anakin can slip to the back, upload the chip straight away to a wrist gauntlet, then still remotely signal the local law enforcement to come pounding down the door.</p><p>The new plan is approved, because there is nothing else they can do, and Obi Wan makes his last mistake of thinking Anakin’s done pushing him for that day.</p><p>He is so, <em>so</em> mistaken, when he comes out, rubbing his own shaved face and temporarily bleached and gelled hair to find Anakin in his outfit for the night.</p><p>Someone— Obi Wan will Not think on who, exactly —taught Anakin how to do impeccable makeup.  His eyes are smoky and dark, emphasizing the glittering blue jewel colors of the irises, his lips in a perfect rose red cupid’s bow.  He’s wearing even tighter black pants and boots than he usually does, and a gods-forsaken <em>crop top</em>.  He’s still got his hand gloved, trading in the usual for a long satiny black one that he’s matched on the flesh hand.  Combined with the dark hair, he looks like a shadow, like sin incarnate, and Obi Wan is forced to turn away.</p><p>He shouldn’t even be doing this in the first place, and now he’s prancing around dressed like that?  He’s making a mockery out of this for no reason, and Obi Wan doesn’t have time for this.  </p><p>He’s glad when Anakin has to leave earlier to show up for the girl he’s replacing’s shift.</p><p>When Obi Wan arrives, there are guards everywhere.  The table holds four spots currently occupied by Dirlik himself and three other equally scummy characters, plus a fifth for Faron Heath.</p><p>The man is just as unpleasant as the description in his file, and Obi Wan can tell right away that nabbing the chip from his gilded belt pocket may be more difficult than expected, as he constantly appears to rub at it for reassurance.</p><p>The night passes on, Dirlik leers at all the workers coming out and serving them drinks, Obi Wan plays off his brash, skeezy persona, jokes with the others, pretends to drink way more than he actually does.</p><p>He notices the perfect opportunity to swipe the chip at last when he realizes Dirlik is a rather sore loser.  He had been instructed to let the man win, but when he notices the man likes to use both hands to motion and cuss and get up close in his opponent’s face, Obi Wan steps up his playing— he’s not as skilled as Faron Heath’s reputation, but he’ll admit he’s a rather good cheat —and wins the next pot.</p><p>Sure enough, Dirlik leans over and braces both hands on the arms of Obi Wan’s chair while he “jokingly” swears booze-scented insults in his face.  Obi Wan makes the most pleasant expression he can and, noting the hovering guards, quickly slips one hand to the studded belt and swipes the chip while using the other to gently push Dirlik’s shoulder up and away from him and guides him back to his seat, asking for another round.</p><p>Hiding the chip up his own sleeve, and covertly pressing his own wrist gauntlet’s button to signal Anakin to come out, Obi Wan realizes that maybe Anakin was right about backup, as Dirlik is already beginning to reach down to feel his belt.</p><p>“You know what?” Obi Wan barks suddenly, banging the table.  “My glass is damn empty, why aren’t the drinks still coming?  We need more drinks.”</p><p>“Yeah,” another sentient at the table, Maza, belches.  Thankfully, Dirlik’s hand moves away from his belt.  “Where’s the fuckin’ staff when— oh, look, about time.”</p><p>The group’s heads turn, and sure enough, there’s Anakin slinking from the kitchen with his dark eyes fixed on a tray of drinks in his hands.  Obi Wan notices how in the dim lighting of the room, Anakin’s ruby lips look like dried blood.  </p><p>Beside him, Dirlik makes an interested noise slash cough.</p><p>Obi Wan feels a chill.</p><p>“And just where have they been keeping you all night?” Dirlik rumbles.</p><p>Anakin’s grimace disguised as a smile isn’t that convincing to Obi Wan, but Dirlik is too busy staring at Anakin’s leather-clad thighs and ass as he lightly steps around Maza’s legs to set down the tray of drinks on the table.  Obi Wan notices he hasn’t tried to thumb the missing datachip in his pocket yet, which is good except for the fact that he’s only not doing it because he’s still too busy ogling Anakin like some kind of meal ready to eat, and he needs to <em>stop</em> because otherwise how is Obi Wan going to be able to pass the chip off to Anakin?</p><p>Dirlik makes a motion with his hand like he’s about to reach for Anakin and that won’t do at all, he needs to be near Obi Wan, but how will Obi Wan be able to call him over without implying that he wants—</p><p>Or, Obi Wan thinks, mind flashing back to the last and only time he got to touch Anakin like that— in the name of a mission.</p><p>Why not imply?</p><p>Obi Wan knows exactly how to transfer the chip to Anakin.</p><p>Ever so casually, Obi Wan lifts the hand hiding the chip in the sleeve to his mouth, biting on his thumb and slipping the chip under his tongue.  Right as Dirlik opens his mouth in a sneer and moves towards Anakin, Obi Wan uses a tweak of the Force and his extended foot to slip Anakin’s legs out from under him and pull him so he falls directly into Obi Wan’s lap, needing to fling out his arms around Obi Wan’s neck for support.</p><p>“Hey,” Dirlik growls lowly while the other three let out raucous whistles and laughter, but Obi Wan is focused on how Anakin’s black-rimmed eyes have gone a wide, startled blue at the abrupt handling.  Obi Wan can still feel him in the Force bracing for some kind of handoff, alert as ever, and Obi Wan presses back in across their bond a plea to <em>trust me</em>, smiles broadly at Anakin, and says loudly, “Look what I’ve caught.”</p><p>He can see the apple in Anakin’s throat bob as he swallows, blinking prettily in confusion up at him, and Obi Wan wishes he had a moment to explain, another moment to sit and take in the view, but there’s really not much time to do anything besides wrap a hand around the nape of Anakin’s neck and pull him up to crush their lips together.</p><p>He distinctly remembers the last time they did this, how it started slower before building in intensity.  Not this time.  This is diving straight into the deepest part of a raging sea with no life preserver. </p><p>Obi Wan swallows the high-pitched gasp Anakin makes as he licks into his mouth, faintly registering those soft satiny gloves flying to his chest, feathery against the triangle of skin bared by his open collar.  He has one hand buried in the curls he wishes were blonde, another sliding up a firmly muscled thigh, hand in hair using it to guide Anakin’s head where he wants it so he can push the datachip stuck behind his lower teeth against the tongue twining urgently with his.</p><p>Anakin is <em>still</em> making these sweet, delicious noises, and Obi Wan tries not to wonder where those sounds were last time, what he did wrong then, but no, he needs to focus on pushing the feeling of <em>focus</em> across their Bond even as he pushes the chip with his tongue, and thankfully finds Anakin pushing back a weak confirmation as his own tongue scoops the chip into his mouth.</p><p>Both remembering the eyes on them and the need to breathe, Obi Wan makes sure the chip is passed then pulls Anakin’s head back and slightly away from him, shushing as Anakin gives an unconscious whine and strains against the hold in his hair to come back.  There’s still a silken strand of saliva connecting their two mouths together as they breathe harshly into each other’s space, stained pink from Anakin’s red lipstick that has been smeared rather scandalously.  Obi Wan hates to imagine the state of his own mouth.</p><p>Anakin’s eyes are as large as moons, not quite focused as his chest heaves and he stares off somewhere over Obi Wan’s shoulder.  Abruptly, he collapses like a puppet with its strings cut, and all Obi Wan can glean from his mind is an overwhelmed fog.  </p><p>Obi Wan catches him, shifting him in his lap so Anakin’s head is leaned against his shoulder, stroking his hair comfortingly.  Guilt is simmering inside him, that he took advantage and stole that kiss at all, that he obviously failed to control his own messy emotions and let them scramble Anakin’s mind like that, that one of them could have choked on or swallowed that valuable chip and that he really doesn’t care all that much about the risk.</p><p>“Heath.”  Dirlik’s voice brings him back to reality with a start and he tenses, well aware he has just blatantly taken something Dirlik has had his eye on.  He should let Anakin go, play it cautious.</p><p>He finds his hand shifting a mite higher on firm thigh and squeezing, his other hand leaving Anakin’s hair to trail down and lay possessively across his abdomen, feeling the muscles clench beneath his fingers as Anakin goes rigid in his lap.  He meets Dirlik’s gaze challengingly.  It’s not in his cover’s personality to play things safe, he reasons.</p><p>Surprisingly, Dirlik does not look upset.  He definitely doesn’t look like he’s just discovered the datachip in his pocket is no longer there.</p><p>Dirlik looks… intrigued, heated gaze still trailing over Anakin and thin mouth quirked upwards in a dirty smile.  “Not too bad, Heath.  You planning on sharing him, or is this gonna be an eyes only performance for the rest of us?”</p><p>Obi Wan feels ready to crawl out of his own skin, Anakin remainingl stone-still in his arms.  He does not look at him, instead letting his hand leave Anakin’s thigh to reach for his discarded drink, sipping faux-casually.  “Oh, don’t make me blush, I’ve terrible stage fright.”  He risks another look at Anakin and freezes when he finds his partner having turned his head to watch him closely.  Through the Bond, Anakin’s mind is a crowded smoke-filled room, hazy and indecipherable, but his face is the same tense caution Obi Wan recognizes from the moment before a fight breaks out.  </p><p>Obi Wan wants to feel horrible all over again, <em>should</em> feel horrible, but at heart he just can’t summon up the outrage, not when he can’t break that gaze, and maybe it’s his mind’s weak grasp on a flimsy apology as he says, to Dirlik, to Anakin, “I just saw a moment and I had to take it.  Apologies, it won’t happen again.”</p><p>Something else shifts in Anakin’s eyes, but someone at the table interrupts by coughing loudly, “Ah no, please continue,” and sets off a round of slimy laughter and Anakin’s cheeks stain pink.  He licks his ruined lips, swallows— and now Obi Wan’s mind is clear enough to think, <em>oh you better not have swallowed that chip</em> —and makes to get off Obi Wan’s lap.  Obi Wan had quite forgotten Anakin’s arms had been slung around his shoulders until they brush along his sensitive neckline.</p><p>He finds that for some reason, his hands don’t quite want to let go of his friend, so he forcibly removes them as Anakin rather wobbily rises from where Obi Wan had put him.</p><p>Obi Wan still can’t believe he did that, a feeling of shame rises deep in him, and reflexively his hand shoots out to catch Anakin’s wrist, to get those kohl-coated eyes back on him.  They’re still dazed, but Obi Wan can see clarity within them and feels a huge wash of relief.</p><p>He doesn’t even have to ask; Anakin’s expression softens at his face, and a brush across his mind sends him the familiar signal of <em>It’s alright, I’m okay.  Don’t worry.</em></p><p>Remembering his cover, Obi Wan sends him an exaggerated, dickish wink, and releases his wrist to more hooting from the table.  The mocking laughs turn to disappointed jeers as Anakin deftly slips around behind Obi Wan’s chair and heads back towards the kitchen.</p><p>A sabacc card is thrown at his head, and Obi Wan, maybe too reflexively if he wants to maintain his cover, catches it instantly.  He offers a raised brow to the thrower, Dirlik, who smirks back at him.  “You clean me at my game and then you steal all the other pretty prizes, Heath?”  There’s something dangerous in that smile that tells Obi Wan to watch his step.</p><p>He knows he has a more dangerous one.</p><p>Instead, he just plasters on the smug asshole smile, shrugs and says, “Sorry, Dirlik, can’t help myself sometimes.  Ah, don’t worry though,” he adds, entirely unable to help himself.  “Something tells me that one’ll be back and giving you plenty of attention.”</p><p>Dirlik stares at him for a moment longer, but Maza coughs and Dirlik’s face goes back to lightly-drunken toad and his attention returns to the table, clapping his hands for the next game.</p><p>It takes Anakin five minutes to transfer and upload the chip, before he beeps across the all clear signal to Obi Wan.</p><p>Obi Wan braces himself for the police entry.</p><p>Instead, he gets all the lights blacking out at once, everyone yelling and fumbling around, Dirlik shrieking about his chip—</p><p>And an electric blue blade swinging out of nowhere in the darkness as a shadowy wraith dances throughout the room, and Force <em>dammit</em>, Anakin, Obi Wan has never been caught off guard so many times tonight, and he will be blaming it on those ridiculous pants as he pulls his own saber from his coat holster and joins in in incapacitating the guards and using rope Anakin hands him to tie up the criminals still floundering in the dark.</p><p>Anakin’s breath comes hot in his ear while they fight back to back, muttering how he had gotten a signal from law enforcement that maybe Dirlik was more cautious than they thought, hired men engaged with the officers outside and no one could come in to relieve them, so it was cleaning up inside for the two of them alone.</p><p>They put everyone down fairly quickly, and Anakin fixes whatever he did with the lights, because they return to the sight of Anakin illuminated by his lit saber, hair still the wrong color wild around his face, eyes wilder, smoky eye still impeccable, and his lipstick still utterly smeared and ruined from Obi Wan’s kiss.  One of the straps of his crop top has broken and is dangling off one muscular shoulder.  His glove is ripped.</p><p>Obi Wan cannot stop staring at him.</p><p>His back aches with phantom fingernails.</p><p>Anakin gives him a playful, victorious smile, before jerking his head towards the tied up criminals and asks, “Can I do the honors?”</p><p>Obi Wan’s brain is still not working quite right for some reason, so he’s more than happy to give Anakin the most supportive grin he can and nod.</p><p>Anakin turns, stalks towards the cowardly criminals and growls out that they are under arrest and have the right to remain silent.</p><p>Dirlik coughs.  Obi Wan watches Anakin’s eyes zero in like a predator on target.  </p><p>Dirlik’s smug face is bloodied and swollen, but the gods-damned smirk is still there.  “You know honey, I’ll tell you anything you want if you and your friend over there give us another show like the last one.”</p><p>Anakin freezes.</p><p>Obi Wan freezes.</p><p>Obi Wan once more sees that delicious flush bloom over Anakin’s cheeks, though he can tell from the heated feeling of his own, he must not look any better.</p><p>Anakin shoots him a look, just the subtlest look out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>Obi Wan remembers exactly whose fault that kiss was, whose selfish wants put his poor friend in this embarrassing position.</p><p>
  <em>It’s not his fault.  Stop blaming him.  None of this night has been his fault, he just wants to help because he is your best and most loyal friend, you’re just trying to excuse your utter inability to control your intrusive impulses like some teenager.</em>
</p><p>Obi Wan looks away, not wanting to see Anakin’s reaction, and is about to tell Dirlik to strongly reconsider the right to remain silent and is therefore witness instead to Anakin’s high boot kicking the man’s face in.</p><p>Obi Wan tells himself the burst of warm feeling he gets from that is that a very un-Jedi-like part of him may or may not have been wanting to do the same thing to Dirlik all night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments are down below if you got anything to say! ;D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. That Time They Got Handsy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this is.  Late.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">The third time it happens can be blamed on alcohol.</p>
<p class="p1">The Open Circle Fleet had been brought back together to win a critical battle over a star system right on the border of the Mid and Outer Rims.The Separatists had been narrowing in far, far too close for comfort, and giving them this gateway through the Wobok system could possibly leave a path to the entire Core wide open.Fortunately, Obi Wan and Anakin together with their men were able to not only hold off the CIS forces, but decimate a decent chunk of their fleet and drive them all the way back to wherever they were hiding in the Outer Rim with their tails between their legs.</p>
<p class="p1">They’re spending a few days parked over the system capital of Wobok II to patch up their fleet and make sure the Seps don’t try to come back before making the jump back to Coruscant, and the mood is celebratory.</p>
<p class="p1">Hah. </p>
<p class="p1">“Celebratory”. </p>
<p class="p1">Also known as: <em>Really Fucking Drunk.</em></p>
<p class="p1">Wow.Anakin blinks once, shaking his head as the room gets a bit fuzzy again.</p>
<p class="p1">Yep.<em>Drunk</em>.</p>
<p class="p1">Now, this hadn’t necessarily been his plan. </p>
<p class="p1">The Wobokian Ruling Council had sent their Republic protectors a large shipment of their planet’s finest liquor amongst some other gifts as gratitude for driving off the invaders.Given that this system had been seriously considering <em>joining</em> the CIS before the Separatists had decided to be impatient and just forcibly occupy them instead, even Obi Wan could agree that it was in their best diplomatic interest to politely accept the gift with a polite “thank you, you’re very welcome, glad you chose our side and not the side shooting at us, yeah?”</p>
<p class="p1">How was anyone supposed to know that the Wobokian liquor they had decided to distribute amongst the troops along with a night off for rest and recuperation would have the specific effect it seems to have on Force sensitives?</p>
<p class="p1">Or at least, Obi Wan claims that’s the case.Anakin is inclined to believe Obi Wan because Anakin has only drank a small amount, honestly, and from what he’s seen, most of the troops have had the same amount.The men seem fine, more boisterous than usual, happy energy permeating the entirety of the ship rec room they’ve all gathered in at the moment.</p>
<p class="p1">The clones could possibly be just as drunk, but no one seems so <em>gone</em> as Anakin feels.Then again, maybe he just can’t notice because as previously stated, he is indeed gone on the little amount he drank— and look, Anakin is aware he doesn’t exactly have the best alcohol tolerance, but to be this wasted after the little amount he had seems.It seems, Not Right, he decides as he decides to take another sip out of his cup regardless.</p>
<p class="p1">Yeah, maybe he should be feeling a little more concerned about this?</p>
<p class="p1">But hey, Obi Wan had put his— nice, warm, <em>heavy</em> —hand on Anakin’s shoulder not too long ago and muttered in his ear that he was feeling rather drunk and that wasn’t right, which Anakin would also trust him on because Obi Wan?Could drink <em>anyone</em> under the table, least of all Anakin, and he didn’t get the hazy warm haze around his aura Anakin had sensed as Obi Wan breathed in his ear that this liquor they had all commonly believed to be mild must have a stronger side-effect on Force Sensitives.</p>
<p class="p1">That had made sense to Anakin, vaguely, as, as hadn’t something about the Wobok system, this planet, hadn’t their species been largely force-null?Or something?He had definitely read about something in a long boring report before they had schlepped out here and had definitely been taking something like that into account when planning the battle and participating in the battle, had spoken to Ahsoka about it— and Force, was Anakin glad he had sent her back to Coruscant early to make a report while they stayed and occupied the—</p>
<p class="p1">The world that had sent them this lovely drink, yes, and Obi Wan had told him it was <em>special</em>, but that had been a bit ago because Obi Wan had moved away from him again and is now on the other side of the room, melted against the wall with his legs stretched out, one crossed over the other, and Anakin kind of wants to look at them, but.</p>
<p class="p1">But, he is currently busy.</p>
<p class="p1">Right now, Anakin has a contest to win.</p>
<p class="p1">At some point after Obi Wan had told him about the Special Booze and they had both collectively decided they didn’t care, Anakin had seen some of the clones celebrating via arm wrestling.Anakin wanted to join.He hadn’t had fun like that in a while.</p>
<p class="p1">So he sat down and challenged the winner.</p>
<p class="p1">He had soundly beat everyone at the table. </p>
<p class="p1">No, he didn’t cheat or use the Force or his mech hand, honest.</p>
<p class="p1">He just works out, contrary to Obi Wan’s accusations calling him lazy, so now his arms are fucking strong and he can pin basically anyone’s wrist to the table without sweat.Simple.</p>
<p class="p1">Simple except for now there’s a whole line of clones standing to try and beat him, which, Anakin can’t exactly just say <em>no</em>.</p>
<p class="p1">So now he’s arm wrestling whoever sits down across from him.And winning.And drinking more, because why the hells not, Anakin feels great.</p>
<p class="p1">He has to take his eyes off of Obi Wan now though to continue his winning streak, refocusing on a brave shiny from the 212th who’s glaring at him determinedly and pushing at Anakin’s arm like his life depends on it.He’s being cheered on by his fellow troopers, a crowd having amassed likely to see which will be the one to finally take Anakin down.Cute.They probably think he’ll grow tired or too drunk.</p>
<p class="p1">Nah.Anakin feels <em>great</em>.</p>
<p class="p1">He gives the shiny a smile he knows makes some people want to hit him, but hey he can’t really help it, and he increases the pressure on his own side, watching as the trooper’s face reddens and starts to sweat as Anakin gradually presses his arm down until it touches the table.</p>
<p class="p1">“Match!” bellows Dubs, one of Anakin’s pilots who was beaten early and has been hovering around them, drinking and offering Anakin drink and calling the wrestling wins to the best of his ability.The crowd roars again, support for Anakin as well as support for the new shiny, Anakin catches the name “Blite” being called from the crowd as the trooper shakes out his wrist ruefully and stands to give Anakin a respectful salute before disappearing for the next soldier to take his place.</p>
<p class="p1">As the clones jostle for who’s going to meet him next, Anakin leans back in his seat, rolling his shoulders.He <em>has</em> felt a bit warmer, but he’s chalking that up to the drink rather than the wrestling, so he’s shrugged out of most of his layers save his under tunic, and now he feels the cool press of cycled air against the slightly sweaty fabric as he moves.His eyes, again, drift to Obi Wan.</p>
<p class="p1">Cody’s talking to him now, scowl on his face, but Anakin doesn’t know if that’s Cody’s usual “I am looking out for you because you are Trouble” scowl, or if it’s just because he’s sober, or because of any remaining pain.Anakin wasn’t there, but he had heard Cody’s position during the fighting had taken a heavy hit, and the man had injured his side.He’s going to be fine, was up and walking again the moment he had been treated, much to Obi Wan’s dismay, but Anakin knows the medics’ rules on drinking while pain meds are still in your system, and how if you break those rules you’d better hope the alcohol/med mixture gets you before an angry Kix does.</p>
<p class="p1">So, Cody’s sober tonight, and therefore also the designated Responsible One since Anakin knows he’s well on his banthashit by now and he gets the feeling Obi Wan too if the lazy way Obi Wan’s smiling at his commanding officer is anything to go by.</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin feels a flicker of peevishness.Obi Wan isn’t smiling at him like that.It’s not like Cody in particular needs a smiling face, yeah he has to deal with their drunk asses, but it’s not like he’s alone.Anakin knows for a fact Rex is too nice for his own good— and also possessing of an inherent sense of when he needs to have Anakin’s back more than usual —and decided to stay sober out of solidarity and help his brother out on babysitting duty.</p>
<p class="p1">Rex is around here somewhere, Anakin notes, looking around now.Let Rex go talk to Cody.</p>
<p class="p1">“Ah, sir?You up for one more?”</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin starts, noticing with a jolt another clone has sat in the seat across from him in his distraction.He recognizes Iris, one of the other 501st medics, giving him a challenging grin and holding her arm up questioningly.Shaking his head to make things even slightly less floaty— gods, he is drunk —Anakin grins back, grabbing her hand and gesturing for Dubs to start them off.</p>
<p class="p1">Iris lasts longer, puts up a decent fight, her well-calloused medic’s grip keeping Anakin from taking her down quickly, but Anakin is Anakin and eventually he lands her arm on the table too to another roar of the crowd.</p>
<p class="p1">As she gets up and salutes him, Anakin doesn’t notice he’s being snuck up on until <em>that hand</em> is on his shoulder again and he’s nearly jumping out of his skin.Obi Wan’s staring down at him, eyes like two pale flames, he’s so <em>shiny</em>, gods, Anakin might be a bit obsessed with Obi Wan right now.He’s drunk so he can say this.</p>
<p class="p1">“I think we should be getting to bed,” Obi Wan tells him.“You’re swaying in your seat.”</p>
<p class="p1">“<em>You’re</em> swaying,” Anakin instantly retorts.Obi Wan isn’t, quite, but he is squinting very hard at Anakin right now and Anakin’s enjoying how his usually reserved yet warm aura is brimming slightly over its usual line, spilling across their bond to touch Anakin’s mind like a cup overflown.It feels like sunlight.He likes it.He doesn’t want Obi Wan to go yet, or for his hand to leave his shoulder again.</p>
<p class="p1">“Cody, tell the General here he’s being a buzzkill,” Anakin demands.Cody says nothing of the sort, but the wrinkle in his forehead grows deeper as he shares a Look over Anakin’s shoulder.Anakin turns and oh, there’s Rex, also looking rather harried so okay, maybe a bunch of drunken troops might be a bit of a stressor for the both of them.</p>
<p class="p1">“You do have an early meeting tomorrow, Sir,” Rex reminds him, and dammit, Anakin doesn’t like it when there are still Responsible People around.The other troopers seem to be on his side at least, as there’s a sudden swell of protest amongst them, and Anakin turns back to where Obi Wan still seems to be leaning on Anakin’s shoulder and staring at him.It’s an open stare, like he’s drinking Anakin in like the liquor that started this, like he’s needing something.Anakin liked, likes, being touched.</p>
<p class="p1">He really likes being stared at like that, truly having Obi Wan’s attention for the first time tonight.</p>
<p class="p1">“It would be unwise,” Obi Wan says again, licking his lips.Anakin mirrors the motion.“Staying up much further and drinking more when we know we are inhibited.I guarantee you the morning won’t be fun.”</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Speak for yourself.</em>If the universe has granted Anakin one boon in exchange for being a somewhat embarrassing lightweight, it’s that no matter how far gone he goes, he never suffers much in the way of a hangover afterwards.Obi Wan’s told him that no headache defeats the entire point of a consequence for going over your head but Anakin thinks he’s just jealous.</p>
<p class="p1">“I’m having fun right now,” Anakin responds.“So is everyone else.”He leans forward in his chair, reaching out and poking Obi Wan in the chest.“You should have some fun too, Master.”Truly, he doesn’t know why he’s suddenly so combative about this, honestly he was getting bored with the wrestling, but now Obi Wan’s side of the bond is flaring up in that familiar rush of energy from when Anakin’s pressing his buttons just right.</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin can admit he’s been pushing to find that rush more and more often lately, ever since the last time, that mission with the traffickers when—</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>Obi Wan’s lips on his, crushing, intense, matching the tight grip on his waist and thighs that he hadn’t even known he had wanted until…</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">—when another Incident they Do Not Talk About occurred, and Anakin’s brain hasn’t gotten the memo.He’s had several mental <em>conversations</em> with himself alone, at night, in bed, in the fresher, in a cockpit once.Alright, so maybe Anakin has a not-so-tiny problem, but hey, what’s one more messed up piece to add to the puzzle, right?It’s not like it’s bothering Obi Wan like it has him.</p>
<p class="p1">So Anakin has been coping and dealing and making himself feel better by doing shit like this, like riling Obi Wan up because they’re so <em>good</em> together that even when it’s an argument it’s like two halves of a whole mind.It’s infuriating, uncompromising, usually makes the situation worse, but it’s a connection and Anakin won’t give it up.</p>
<p class="p1">So now he’s staring back at Obi Wan like Obi Wan was staring at him and is about to ask Obi Wan if he plans to carry him away, when Obi Wan’s eyes narrow, a wicked smirk quirking across his face in that way that warns Anakin that he’s just been horribly outmaneuvered, and Obi Wan takes his hand off Anakin’s shoulder— shit, no, wait, —but now he’s moving and, and sliding into the seat across from Anakin?</p>
<p class="p1">“And, he’s sitting down,” Anakin hears Cody say behind him faintly as the crowd goes the loudest it ever has. </p>
<p class="p1">Anakin was not expecting this.</p>
<p class="p1">The surprise is not unwelcome, however.</p>
<p class="p1">“Sir—“ Cody starts, and Rex echoes him, but Obi Wan raises a hand with that smirk still on his face.</p>
<p class="p1">“Easy, you two, this won’t take long.”</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin feels a bark of incredulous laughter bubbling upwards.“Oh, it won’t?”He’ll acknowledge that Obi Wan might also have extremely nice arms and broad shoulders and long, thin fingers, and he’s laid Anakin out on his ass in training enough times for Anakin to know that this isn’t exactly going to be a simple test of strength.But really?<em>This won’t take long?</em>That’s just asking for a fight.</p>
<p class="p1">“No, it won’t” Obi Wan responds, voice light and dancing on a sharp edge.“If I beat you once, everyone turns in for the night.We get up early the next morning.Deal?”</p>
<p class="p1">Seemingly straightforward terms— from <em>the</em> Negotiator.Anakin narrows his eyes.“And <em>when</em> I win?”</p>
<p class="p1">Obi Wan doesn’t hesitate.“Hmm, surprise me.”</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin gapes.Open terms, this is a Trap, he knows it.He doesn’t know Obi Wan’s game though, not when his head is still clouded with light and everything including Obi Wan’s stupidly pretty hair is still shimmering.But Anakin can do what he can to protect himself from this trap before it springs.</p>
<p class="p1">“Fine,” he says, and extends his right arm.The metal one.</p>
<p class="p1">Obi Wan’s eyes on him are still blazing and sure, and slowly, knowingly, Obi Wan reaches out and takes it, grasps the gloved digits tight between elegant fingers.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>(Elegant, strong, fingers, Anakin still remembers the marks from where they held him…)</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">Obi Wan knows full well that this hand is stronger than the other one, that Anakin can and will use it to crush his grip, use the pain to bring him down.There’s no rules in arm wrestling that say it’s not allowed.Obi Wan knows this, and he hasn’t moved his hand from where he grabbed Anakin’s.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>What is he planning?</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">The crowd is murmuring nervously now, and either Cody or Rex is saying to someone, “Soldier, that better not be betting I’m hearing—“ and Anakin knows they’re just mad they aren’t drunk, aren’t feeling what he’s feeling right now as he stares at Obi Wan and Obi Wan stares back at him, connected through their tight grip.</p>
<p class="p1">“Start us, Dubs,” Obi Wan all but purrs at the trooper still hovering anxiously over them. </p>
<p class="p1">What the <em>kark? </em> Anakin thinks frantically.His Master is up to something and he doesn’t know—</p>
<p class="p1">He still gives Dubs the bewildered go ahead, so Dubs straightens and clears his throat.“Right.So, same rules.Elbows must remain on the table at all times, you can only use your one arm to get the other’s down on the table completely, no spitting in people’s eyes to distract them—“ that rule had already been there when Anakin got here, don’t ask him, “—and for the case of both of you, Generals, I’ll ask for no powers beyond your own strength, yeah?”</p>
<p class="p1">No Force usage.Got it.</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin nods.</p>
<p class="p1">Obi Wan nods.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>What is he doing?</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">“3…2…1!”</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin’s grip tightens on Obi Wan’s fingers and prepares to roll them so the pressure point causes Obi Wan’s weaker bones to give under the mechanics and drop.</p>
<p class="p1">But Anakin never gets that far because Obi Wan lunges across the table and that same mouth that’s been haunting Anakin’s dreams is now capturing his own.</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin freezes.</p>
<p class="p1">He doesn’t feel like time has frozen this time, but more like the world around them has dropped away again.He swears he heard a hush fall over the crowd, but right now he’s just trying to convince himself he’s not dreaming.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>It’s the liquor</em>, he thinks.<em>I’ve passed out, or I’m seeing things.I can’t—</em></p>
<p class="p1">But it feels far, far too real.</p>
<p class="p1">This kiss is different than the first desperate yet exploratory one, different than the second sucking overwhelming one. </p>
<p class="p1">This one is almost playful, soft lips harshened by the ticklish roughness of beard pressed comforting and firm against his own, a huff of a laugh on Obi Wan’s breath that Anakin can’t help but try and inhale, get as much of Obi Wan as he can.</p>
<p class="p1">He gets a tease of tongue in return and Anakin hears a noise rumbling in the back of his throat, faintly remembers that they are in public and should likely not be making a Scene, but this feels way too good for his brain to be thinking about other things.</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin kisses back, trying to suck in the top lip his tongue is tracing, only to gasp slightly as sharp teeth snag his bottom one.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>He remembers the bruise on his neck from that first time, how those same teeth had made it, how Anakin had formed a habit of pressing on the mark until it had faded, he missed the teeth, and oh no—</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">“That’s kriffing cheating!” comes a loud bellow that startles the both of them back to the present, mouths sliding to a halt against each other.</p>
<p class="p1">Right.</p>
<p class="p1">The troops.</p>
<p class="p1">The drink.</p>
<p class="p1">The bet.</p>
<p class="p1">“You interrupting <em>dumbass</em>,” another clone is heard scolding a sibling before yelling starts up all around them as arguments break out. </p>
<p class="p1">Anakin, trying desperately to reboot his brain back online, starts to draw his face away from Obi Wan’s only to inhale as the teeth at his bottom lip catch and latch on, halting Anakin’s retreat like a hooked fish.</p>
<p class="p1">“Hhhhuh?” Anakin manages, because he is supposed to be <em>doing</em> something, Obi Wan is going to trick him, do something, he has to…</p>
<p class="p1">Obi Wan’s mouth against his curls upwards and Anakin can taste his liquored smile against his own.“You let your guard down,” his Master growls into his mouth, and it hits Anakin that <em>this was the trick, this was what Obi Wan was planning, was planning to KISS me—</em></p>
<p class="p1">Anakin’s mech hand, elbow still on the table despite the whole kiss thing, is abruptly gripped tightly by the fingers it had been loosely holding and <em>slammed</em> down on the table, the momentum so great Anakin’s arm and entire body jerk after it.</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin tries to catch his balance, fails, goes tumbling completely off the side of his chair and face planting on the ground.</p>
<p class="p1">The troops around them <em>roar</em>.</p>
<p class="p1">Through his stunned daze, above him Anakin can hear Dubs calling out that since there was no eye-spitting, no Force usage, and Obi Wan’s elbow too had stayed planted on the table the entire time as well, that makes Obi Wan the winner.</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin feels Obi Wan’s fingers squeeze his hand in the slightest at this, realizes that Obi Wan never let go of his hand as Anakin went down, then feels those amazingly strong fingers slip through his own and leave his arm to flop empty down next to his face.</p>
<p class="p1">Obi Wan is heard directing orders, slowly, slurrily, before his beacon of a Force signature moves out of Anakin’s immediate range.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>Oh.  Goodbye, then.</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">Cody and Rex are still barking orders, breaking up the crowd now and directing cleanup and assigning late night duty to some very unlucky troopers.</p>
<p class="p1">The ground is nice, Anakin thinks, head still spinning.He thinks he’ll stay down here, it’s almost as nice as kissing—</p>
<p class="p1">A decidedly not so nice foot decides to kick him right in the side.Anakin will admit to maybe whining in response and swatting blindly at the offending body part.</p>
<p class="p1">“Come on, up you get.”Rex’s voice, sounding— decidedly tired, Anakin thinks.He should get some rest.</p>
<p class="p1">“Can’t,” Anakin tells him, because he really can’t, he’s still floating too high to get off the floor.</p>
<p class="p1">He gets another nudge of the boot.“You need to get off the floor, Sir,” Rex says again, more insistently, and then after a pause, provokingly, “I didn’t know you were such a sore loser.”</p>
<p class="p1">Now Anakin’s head does jerk up to squint at the fuzzy sky.“Lose?No.No, no, I won.”</p>
<p class="p1">An exasperated sigh.“Oh, great, he’s that out of it.General,” Rex tries again.“I’d carry you myself if I wasn’t afraid you might vomit, and I don’t think either of us wants that.You gotta get back up and walk, I’m sorry but you lost.”</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin rolls his eyes before rolling his body over onto his back and <em>whew</em>, he might get what Rex meant about the puking, but no he’s gonna be good because he has a point to make as he raises a wobbly, accusatory finger at the sky where he assumes Rex is above him.“‘kay.But I <em>won</em>.”</p>
<p class="p1">Rex snorts.“If you say so, but I saw General Kenobi get your hand on the table myself.Crowd ruled there wasn’t cheating, so he beat you.Here, just take my hand.”</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin hums.“Yeah.”He prods distractedly at the hand extended down to pull him up.“I won though,” he tells Rex, hand lowering back down to touch lightly at where Obi Wan had caught his lip in his teeth.<em>Best</em> prize, he thinks, feeling a smile forming around his fingers.</p>
<p class="p1">He hears Rex breathe in suddenly, hears him say, “Oh, you mean— ah,” and Anakin doesn’t like that tone, that’s the Tone Of Disapproval where Anakin’s done something Rex deems stupid.</p>
<p class="p1">“What?”</p>
<p class="p1">“Nothing, Sir, I just—“Rex huffs, crouching down so Anakin can see his warm brown eyes examining him critically.“With all due respect, I worry.I don’t— I don’t want you to get hurt, is all.”</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin feels his smile on his face grow sharp at the mention of pain, remembers why his prize is a prize: special reward, special occasion, <em>not</em> freely given, not gonna happen again.His laugh isn’t a nice one.“Don’t bother, Rex.“M not gonna get hurt from falling on the floor.”</p>
<p class="p1">“I know, but—"</p>
<p class="p1">“I fell a while ago,” Anakin muses, now that he’s thinking about.“Already got hurt, been walking around with the open wound ever since.”He grunts and pushes up onto his elbows, trying to keep his smile for Rex as he suddenly feels <em>sad</em>, tired and sad.It’s so cold without Obi Wan.</p>
<p class="p1">“I’ll be fine,” he tells Rex’s swimming figure.“I don’t need to be fixed, I’m happy with the bits I can get.I’m good where I am, I’m, hmm.Gonna throw up.”</p>
<p class="p1">He vaguely registers Rex cursing and lurching backward as Anakin vomits at his feet, sitting up afterwards now that he’s laying down on an empty stomach.He feels weary now, aching bones, eyelids like weights.Strong arms are grabbing at him and he has the swooping sensation of being levied onto armored shoulders where he lets himself droop and hang like a sack of tubers.</p>
<p class="p1">“—might not even remember this,” Rex is grumbling in his ear, warning him not to try the vomiting again.“But just, keep an eye on that hurting, yeah?For your sake.And for his.”</p>
<p class="p1">Anakin grunts and fades away.</p>
<p class="p1">He dreams of brushes of lips and graceful fingers tangled with his.</p>
<p class="p1">He wakes up the next morning unhappy to be up early, but miles better than the hungover zombie crew that has suddenly made up his ship.He winces in sympathy for them, slightly in guilt in part because he knows he was responsible at least partially for the drinking that had gone last night.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Way</em> more than he should, he thinks, catching Obi Wan walking to meet him and realizing he doesn’t quite remember how the night ended before he woke up in his quarters.Obi Wan’s brow is furrowed and a dull cloud of tired pain surrounds him and all Anakin can do is laugh as he’s greeted with the iciest death glare this side of Hoth.It’s a very good thing Obi Wan isn’t a lightweight, because he does not seem to possess Anakin’s gift of avoiding hangovers.</p>
<p class="p1">Obi Wan isn’t scolding him for acting out last night though, so he knows it couldn’t have been <em>too</em> bad despite the suspicious glances he’s caught off a couple of clones.He shrugs and speeds up to match Obi Wan’s brisk pace, arms brushing as they walk side by side.</p>
<p class="p1">A pang stirs in Anakin’s heart as he remembers the one thing: his dreams.</p>
<p class="p1">His Master cannot know just how much Anakin dreamt about kissing him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've been in a writing slump for a while, I'm p proud of myself for getting this out honestly.  I hope y'all like it, it was supposed to be more ~kissy~ but then <em>feelings</em> got involved so xD</p>
<p>Come say hi in the comments!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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